Aerodynamic saucer



1970 L. E. MUELLER 3,525,484

AERODYNAMIC SAUCER Filed June 17, 1968 PIC-5.!

INVENTOR. 28 32 LEONARD. E MUELLER F l G. 3

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 01 fice 3,525,484 Patented Aug. 25, 1970 3,525,484AERODYNAMIC SAUCER Leonard E. Mueller, 4557 Mount Hubbard Ave., SanDiego, Calif. 92117 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 523,838,Jan. 18, 1966. This application June 17, 1968, Ser. No.

Int. Cl. B24c 29/00 U.S. Cl. 244-12 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA low density circular aerodynamic saucer having a duct opening in thecenter with a propeller means therein for rotating in a single plane,thereby inducing air flow through the duct and causing the saucer shapedwing to rotate in one direction and the propeller to rotate in anotherdirection relative to ground, the combination of which provides stableflight.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The rotation of the wing increases lift fromair flow at the outer circular edge of the wing.

The flying craft differs from the helicopter in that the thrust force isproduced by a fan or propeller and by air flow over the surface of arotating saucer shaped wing structure. The helicopter uses the rotationof large blades to obtain lift. In the event of engine stoppage, thesaucer shaped wing acts as a rotating parachute while the helicopteruses autorotation of its rotor blades to achieve safe descent. Therehave been many air vehicles that have used disk or saucer shapedstructures. The Princeton Laboratory Air Scooter and the X3 GroundEffects machines, the Cushion Craft built by Britten Norman Ltd. ofEngland, the Coanda Saucers, and the Avro VTOL Vehicle built by AvroAircraft Ltd. in Canada are some well known examples. However, none ofthese devices use rotation of the saucer or circular wing structure incounter rotation to a central rotating propeller means to produce liftand gyroscopic stability.

Thus it would be advantageous to have a new and improved aerodynamicsaucer that is capable of effective and improved flight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an embodiment of the aerodynamic saucer ofthis invention, a circular wing has a central opening therethrough witha cylindrical duct member secured in the opening and with a singleplane, downwardly thrusting propeller means, positioned in the duct forinducing air flow over the adjacent upper surface of the wing andthrough the duct. The circular wing has an air foil shape in the radialcross section between the central opening and the outer periphery of thewing with the leading edge of the air foil section being adjacent theopening. The single plane rotating propeller means provides a counterforce that rotates the wing in a circular direction opposite to therotation of the propeller means. This rotation of the wing and its shapeincreases lift by increasing movement of air outwardly over the outersurface of the wing. The outer edge of the wing has a Coanda air flowthat is augmented by the rotation of the wing. The lower portion of thewing is hollow and open in a downward direction. This lightens theoverall wing structure and also provides for lift producing air flowunderneath the lower surface of the wing.

During development of this aerodynamic saucer, several methods forproducing satisfactory lift with power on and with power off were tried.These included vanes placed in the central duct, vanes placed along theedge of the saucer, vents in the saucer surface, and louvers in thesaucer surface. It was found however, that the embodiment of theaerodynamic saucer disclosed in this application had improved stabilitywith the saucer rotating without vanes, vents, or louvers.

In the embodiment of the aerodynamic saucer, the engine is secured inthe duct. When power is produced by the engine, the torque reaction fromthe central fan attached to the engine crankshaft rotates the saucer inthe opposite direction of fan rotation. Upon engine shut down, air flowsthrough the central duct and reacts with the fan blades and againstengine compression. This force continues to rotate the saucer, thusproducing power off gyroscopic stability.

Test vehicles were built of metals including high tensile aluminumalloys, cast plastic materials, high impact molded plastic,sheet-vinyls, polystyrene, polyethylene, fiber glass reinforced epoxiesand polyurethane formulations. The high impact plastics have proven mostsatisfactory for the structure. However, any suitable material may beused. More than a dozen test models have been flown successfully todate. These models have been powered with small reciprocating enginesand most have been fabricated from vacuum formed plastic sheet.

Thus applicant has provided a new, light weight and inexpensive flyingvehicle that may be used as a toy or for other suitable test and flightpurposes. The structure may employ a model airplane reciprocating engineto rotate the propeller and may be made of light weight and yet strongmaterial that provides an aerodynamic saucer toy that is capable of verypleasing flight.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide .a new andimproved flying structure.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improvedaerodynamic saucer that may be flown as a toy and that has a low densitywing structure that resists impact when striking the ground.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improvedaerodynaamic saucer structure that has inherent gyroscopic stabilitythrough wing rotation in a direction opposite to propeller rotationrelative to ground.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detailed construction andoperation of this invention, as more fully and hereinafter described,reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein like referencenumerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view partly in prospective of an embodiment of theaerodynamic saucer of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the diameter of theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 of the aerodynamic saucer.

Referring now to the drawing, an aerodynamic saucer 10 has a circularwing 12 that in cross section has an upper surface with an air foilshape in the radial cross section, with the leading edge of the air foilsection terminating at an opening 14 through the wing structure 10. Theopening 14 has a cylindrical duct portion 18 that diverges outwardly atits lower surface 42 and has cross bars 30 and 32 that support engine37, shaft 24 and housing 29. A propeller means comprising a propeller 223 rotates in a single plane and is connected to the upper end of thedrive shaft 24 that is rotated in bearings 28. A propeller cone 16provides an appropriate aerodynamic shape at the point of securing thepropeller 22 to the shaft 24.

The lower surface 42 of the circular wing 12 has a shape thatsubstantially conforms to the air foil shape of the upper surface of thewing 10. The lower surface of the wing is hollow with the outward edgehaving a downward directed lip portion 34.

In flight, the engine 37 provides reciprocating force to the drive shaft24, by means of known bearing connections 26, rotating the propeller 22in a direction that for example may be in a counter clockwise direction.This rotating force of the propeller 22 and the turning force throughdrive shaft 24 of the engine 37 causes the wing structure 12 to rotatein a clockwise direction. Thus the propeller 22 and the wing 12 rotatein counter rotating directions relative to the ground surface.

In such flight, air currents are induced by the rotating propeller 22 tomove over the adjacent upper surface of the wing 12 and downwardlythrough the hollow duct volume 14 of the duct 18 and to follow the pathsubstantially illustrated by arrow 36. The upward movement of the wing12 coupled with the rotational movement of the wing 12 relative tostatic air and ground, causes air to flow in a radially outwarddirection over the outer portion of the wing in the direction of arrow38. This creates a Coanda air flow over the tip portion 34 of the wing12. This air flow creates a reduced air pressure on the upper surface ofthe wing that induces flight. The rotational movement of the wingrelative to air flow increases the amount of outwardly directed air flowover the wing surface and thus increases lift. Induced air currents inthe direction of arrow 40 provide a reactive upwardly directed force onthe wing structure that further provides lift. The air flow in thedirection of arrow 36 through the diverging portion 42 of the duct 18,creates an increased air volume with a decrease in velocity thatprovides an upwardly directed force on the duct portion 18, that furtherincreases lift.

OPERATION In operation the engine 37 turns the propeller 22 in a mannerthat the propeller turns in one direction and the wing 12 turns in theopposite direction. This movement of the propeller 22 and rotationalmovement of the wing 12 induces lift as previously described that causesthe aerodynamic saucer to fly.

Having described my invention, 1 now claim:

1. An aerodynamic flying saucer comprising,

a saucer shaped circular wing being freely rotatable in flight having acentral circular opening therethrough with an airflow duct through saidopening,

the radial cross section of the upper surface of said Wing between saidopening and the outer periphery of said wing having an airfoil shapewith the leading edge thereof at said opening,

the lower portion of said wing is hollow and open in the downwarddirection defining an open lower volume whose upper surface is the lowersurface of said wing,

a single downwardly thrusting propeller positioned in a single plane insaid duct,

and means for moving air downwardly through said duct and in a radiallyoutward direction over the upper surface of said wing by rotating saidpropeller in one direction and said wing in the opposite direction,thereby providing aerodynamic lift force to said saucer.

2. An aerodynamic flying saucer as claimed in claim 1 in which the outeredge of said wing is curved downwardly.

3. An aerodynamic saucer as claimed in claim 2 in which said rotationalmovement of said wing in flight, inducing airflow downwardly andoutwardly over the outer edge of said wing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,843,339 7/1958 Streib .l 244-122,990,137 6/1961 Willis 24412 3,034,747 5/1962 Lent 244-23 v 3,276,72310/ 1966 Miller et a1. 244-12 FOREIGN PATENTS 678,700 1/1964 Canada.

TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner J. E. PI'ITENGER, Assistant Examiner

